Piano-action.



I. P. GILMORE PIANO ACTION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1913,

Ira/F @Lflwr'g INVENTOR WITNESSES v ATTORN EY UNITED STATES PATENT oniuon.

IRA F. GILMORE, OF BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

PIANO-ACTION.

Application filed July 25, 1913.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA F. GILMORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomington, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Piano-Action, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in piano actions, and its object is to provide a piano action of markedly simple construction permitting the ready installation in a piano provided with such an action of a pneumatic tube or other self-player action.

In accordance with the present invention, which is an improvement upon the structure shown in Letters Patent No. 967,015, for piano action, granted to me on August 9, 1910, certain features of the said patented piano action are retained, but certain features are added, and certain features of the former piano action are omitted, so that the action as a whole, while retaining the advantageous features of the prior action, is especially adapted for the installation of a pneumatic or other action and may also be used for other purposes. Moreover, the improved action is so arranged that the keys may be readily removed and replaced without interference with the remainder of the action, or the latter may be adjusted with facility because of the ease of access thereto.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the further understanding that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as suchchanges and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation with parts in section of a piano action, the illustration being confined to a single hammer and key and parts coacting therewith. Fig. 2 is a detail section of a rocker employed in the structure. Fig. 3 is a detail section of a damper operating member with a portion of a standard carrying it. Fig.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915. Serial No. 781,216.

ing of Fig. 3 of the portion of the standard therein illustrated.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a hammer 1 carried by the usual stem 2 and hammer butt 3, which latter is pivotally supported on a butt flange 4 carried by an action rail 5 and the butt is in turn engaged by a hammer spring 6 tending to hold the hammer in engagement with a hammer rest rail 7 carrying the usual soft pad 8. The hammer butt is provided with a concavity 9 adapted to receive a roller 10 on one end of a combined jack and action extension 11, and in the case of an upright piano this elongated jack is itself upright with its lower end normally resting on an adjusting screw 12 carried by the rear end of a key 13, which latter may be of usual construction, and hence requires no especial description.

The jack 11 is connected near the upper end to one end of a link 14, the other end of which link is pivotally connected to a rocker 15 supported by screws 16, 17 upon a rocker rail 18, and this rail carries a pad 19 against which the link 14 may rest under circumstances to be described. The rocker rail 18 also supports a guide 20 for the corresponding portion of the jack 11, it being understood that each hammer and its key has a jack l1 and that there are as many guides 20 as there are jacks.

Near the lower end each jack 11 is pivotally connected to one end of a link 21, the other end of which is fast to a flange 22 carried by a rail 28, and this rail also carries a pivoted damper strip 24 controlled by a damper rod 25 which though not so shown, is assumed to extend to a suitable pedal.

Mounted upon a damper rail 26 is a damper lever 27, it being understood that there are as many damper levers as there are hammers and keys, and each damper lever carries at one end a damper 28 in normal engagement with a piano string 29, which latter may be taken as indicative of either a single or a multiple string. The damper is maintained in normal engagement with the string 29 by means of a damper spring 30 carried by the rail 26, while that end of the damper lever remote from the damper is provided with a cam block 31 in 1 is an elevation at right angles to the showthe path of a roller 32 supported by a bracket 33 made fast to the jackll by screws 34: or otherwise. It is desirable that the bracket 33 and roller 32 be adjustable lengthwise of the jack 11, hence the latter is provided with a longitudinal slot 35 therethrough for the screws 3%, so that a limited amount of longitudinal adjustment is permitted.

With a structure such as shown a movement of the key 13 in the usual manner causes the screw 12 to rise, and thisin turn lifts the jack 11 causing the roller 32 to engage the cam block 31 and rock the lever 27 in a manner to carry the damper 28 away from the spring 29. At the same time the rollernl0 engages the hammer butt- 3 and finds its avay into the concavity 9, thus impelling: the hammer toward the string with suihcient force to cause it to strike the string and rebound with the roller 10 lodged in the concavity 9, this movement being against the action of the spring 6. The links 14: and 21 have participated in the movement :de-

scribed, thus holding the ack 11 in an approximately upright path, so that the roller 10 is constrained to move into the concavity 9 and cause the described :action of the hammer. YVhen the key is released the jack drops, .the roller 10 moves out of theconcavity 9;, and the spring 6 returns the hammer to its normal position against the pad 8 of :the hammer rest 7 and the roller 32 moves to the narrow portion of the cam block 31, this permitting the damper spring I 30 .to return the damper to its normal position. of engagement with the string 29.-

Thescrew 12 permits of an adjustment in the relation between the key 13 and jack 11, while the rocker 15 permits. an adjustment of the jack 11, especially the. upper end thereofto bring the roller 10 into the desired relation to the hammer butt 3. The adj ustment of the bracket 33 permits the establishment of the proper relation between the roller 32 and the cam block 31, wherefore all the parts may with a minimum of adjustment be brought into such relation one to the other as may be found advisable.

Suppose, for some reason it is found" desirable to remove the keys, or any number of them, then the jacks normally supported by theremoved keys will drop but a very short distance until the links lt rest upon the-padyll, wherefore the reinsertion of the keys. is: greatly facilitated. Moreover,-if it be desired to remove the. action this is readily accomplished, since the jacks 11 can drop but a minimum distance before arrested by the engagement of the links H with the supporting'pad 19.0 1.

It will be .observed that the greater per.- tion of the action isghigh,:andinstead ofaga large portion :ot the action being: so-gsituated as to be in the way of an additional action such as a pneumatic or other action, there .is ample room in the piano for the installation of such an action even though the action of the present invention be already installed.

What is claimed is 1i A piano action comprising a hammer having a butt with a concavity therein and pivoted on the side of the latter remote from the sounding. element against which the hammer is designed to strike, an elongated jack, links each pivotally connected; at one end to the .jack, said linksb'eing. located near opposite ends on respectively opposite. sides of the jack, and relatively'fixe'd supports to which the other ends 03? the links are connected. 5 w. I 5.;

2. A piano action comprising-a:hammer having abutt with a concavity therein .and pivoted on the sideof the latter remote from the sounding element .against which the hammer is designed to strike, an elongated jack, links each-pivotally connected atone end to the jack, saidlinks being located near opposite ends on respectively oppositeisides of the jack, relatively fixed supports .to which the other ends ofthe links are connected,-jand-a guide for the jack between the link supports g 3. A- pia no..-aotion comprising a-hammer provided with a butt 1 having a concavity therein, an; elongated jack-engaging the key and provided ivitha roller at the-endadjacent to the .hammenbutt for movement into the concavity therein, links near oppo site ends; and-on opposite sides of the jack, each link. being pivoted atone end to the jack, rails to which the other endsof the links are. respectivelypivoted, anda guide member forthe jack .onthat rail to which the link near the hammeris pivoted.

4L. Ar-pianowactioncomprising a hammer provided .w-ith a Y butt having -.a 1; concavity therein, an.elon ated jack engaging :the key and: provided with a:,roller; at the-end .adjacent to the haminerbutt .foranovement into the concavity. therein, 1 links near opposite ends and on opposite sidesotthejack, each link being pivoted at one end to the jack, rails to which the other endsot .the links. are respectively pivoted, and a guide member. for thejack on that rail to which the link .nearnthe hammer is pivoted, the pivot; .connection between ,the last-named linkandithe rail'comprising .a rocker member for adjusting the relation of.- the roller end of the jack to the butt end of the ham- H161. .i. liad i. 0, 3 1K.

5. A piano action comprising a hammer, an elongatedijack engaging the key, a damper lever-with aJcam between its lower end and the. pivot .05 the lever, I and, a=. roller. on theij-ack,intermediate-of its length in position to engagevthecamrz:

6. A piano action comprising a hammer,

, the cam.

7. A pianoaction comprising a hammer, an elongated jack engaging the key, links each pivotally connected at one end to the jack, a relatively fixed support for each link to which the other end of the link is pivoted, said links being located near opposite ends of the jack, a damper lever with a cam between the end remote from the damper and the pivot of the lever, and a roller on the jack between the links and engaging the cam, said roller and cam being relatively adjustable lengthwise of the link.

8. An upright piano action comprising a hammer, an elongated jack engaging the key, supporting rails near opposite ends and on opposite sides of the jack, pivoted links each connected to a respective rail and to the jack, said links being. located on opposite sides and near opposite ends of the jack, a damper lever located midway of the piano action and above the lower rail, a cam on the damper lever near its lower end, and a roller on the jack between the link supports and in position to engage the cam.

9. An upright piano action comprising a hammer, an elongated jack engaging the key, supporting rails near opposite ends and on opposite sides of the jack, pivoted links each connected to a respective rail and to the jack, said links being located on opposite sides and near opposite ends of the jack, a damper lever located midway of the piano action and above the lower rail, a cam on the damper lever near its lower end, and a roller on the jack between the link supports and in position to engage the cam, the upper rail supporting the upper link also carrying a guide for the jack.

10. A piano action comprising a hammer an elongated jack constructed at one end to engage the key and at the other end to engage the hammer and movable lengthwise by the action of the key to actuate the hammer, a damper and lever carrying the same, and coactive means having one member on the damper lever and the other directly mounted on the jack for moving the damper toward the inactive position as the hammer is moved toward the active position, one of the coactive damper actuating means being adjustable in the direction of the length of the jack.

11. A piano action comprising a hammer, an elongated jack constructed at one end to engage the key and at the other end to engage the hammer, a damper and damper lever carrying the damper, a cam block on the end of the damper lever remote from the damper, and a roller directly mounted on the jack in position to engage the cam block.

12. A piano action comprising a hammer, an elongated jack constructed at one end to engage the key and at the other end to engage the hammer, a damper and damper lever carrying the damper, a cam block on the end of the damper lever remote from the damper, and a roller directly mounted on the jack in position to engage the cam block, the roller having a supporting member carried by the jack and the jack and supporting member being co-actively constructed for the longitudinal adjustment of the carrying member on the jack.

13. An upright piano action comprising a hammer, an elongated jack engaging the key, rails on opposite sides of and near opposite ends of the jack, link supports for the jack carried by the respective rails and located on opposite sides of the jack, a guide for the jack on the upper rail, a damper lever having its lower end above the lower rail and provided with a cam adjacent to said end, and a roller mounted on the jack in operative relation to the cam.

14. An upright piano action comprising a hammer provided with a butt having a concavity therein, said butt having a pivoted support at the side thereof remote from the sounding element toward which the hammer is designed to move, an upright elongated jack engaging the key and provided with a roller at the upper end for engaging the hammer butt and for movement into the concavity to check the hammer, rails on opposite sides of the jack near opposite ends thereof, the upper rail being on the side of the jack remote from the sounding element of the piano, a link carried by the upper rail and in turn pivoted to the jack, said link being supported on the rail by an adjustable rocker, a guide for the link carried by the upper rail, another link carried by the lower rail and pivoted to the jack adjacent to the key, a damper lever having a damper at its upper end and terminating at its lower end above the lower rail and adjacent to said lower end provided with a cam, and a roller carried by the jack in position to engage the cam and adjustable lengthwise of the jack.

15. A piano action comprising a hammer having its butt formed with a concavity, a spring tending to maintain the hammer in the inactive position, an elongated longitudinally movable jack provided at one end with means for entering the concavity of the hammer to check the hammer, spaced links each connected at one end to the jack and at the other end to relatively fixed members, one of the links having its supporting member in the form of a rocker :for permitting adjusting' the damper lever and tendingnormally 10 ment: of the ack transverse to. its length, a to hold the damper in the active position. roller and support therefor mounted on the In testimony, that I claim the foregoing jack and longitudinally adjustable thereon, as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature a damper, a damper lever carrying the in the presence of two Witnesses.

damper, a cam block on the damper lever in IRA F. GILMORE.

the path of the roller tovmove the damper Witnesses: into the inactive direction on the active JAMES A. HAMMITT, movement of the jack, and a spring engag- HARRY K. HUSTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington,.]). 0. 

